Q3 43vs A1 II
Leica
Q3 43 (2024)
Starting from £6995 new
Best for Documentary, portrait & reportage photography
View Q3 43
VS
Sony
A1 II (2025)
Starting from £6500 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & high-resolution studio work
View A1 II
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Documentary, Portrait & Reportage Photography — Q3 43 (2024): The Q3 with the most human lens — 43mm, 60MP, and Leica rendering at its most natural and versatile.
Professional Sports, Wildlife & High-Resolution Studio Work — A1 II (2025): The most complete camera ever made — 50MP, 30fps, 8K, and the world's best EVF in a single flagship body.
Who should buy what
Q3 43 (2024)
- Portrait and documentary photographers who find 28mm too wide and 50mm too tight
- Q3 owners who prefer a natural 43mm perspective over the iconic 28mm Summilux
- Reportage photographers who want the discreet Q3 form factor with a more intimate focal length
- Leica system users who want a fixed-lens body that excels across multiple genres
A1 II (2025)
- Professional sports and wildlife photographers who need 30fps, 50MP, and the best AF available
- Commercial and advertising photographers who demand 50MP resolution alongside pro video specs
- Photojournalists who need a single body capable of handling every assignment
- Sony system shooters ready to invest in the absolute best
Quick take: The q3 43 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the a1 ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Q3 43 (2024) | A1 II (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,995 | £6,500 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 50.1MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p 10-bit — L-Log | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/240p super slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with face and eye detection | AI subject recognition — human, animal, bird, insect, vehicle, aircraft, train |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS (combined with OIS) | 8.5-stop IBIS (with in-lens OSS) |
| Burst Rate | 15fps electronic | 30fps electronic (with full AF/AE), 10fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | ~350 shots (CIPA) | ~530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 743g body only | 743g body only |
| Dimensions | 130.0 × 80.3 × 91.1mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF 0.79× 5.76M-dot OLED | EVF 0.9× 9.44M-dot — the highest resolution EVF available |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.84M dots | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 2.1M dots |
| Mount | Fixed Summicron-M 43mm f/2 ASPH (43mm — closest to human field of view) | Sony E-mount (full-frame) |
| Memory Cards | Single UHS-II SD slot | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI full-size |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Q3 43 | A1 II |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Street | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Sports | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — |
More comparisons with Q3 43
Camera family history